I have created a six-hour biotechnology education series at bit.ly/LfbSdS, and I want to highlight the policy discussion here.

It is easy to ignore policy when operating in biotechnology. The importance of an understanding of the business of biotechnology, of patent and other legal issues, and of the science of biotechnology is clear, but it is not sufficient to focus on these to the exclusion of policy. For it is policy that determines crucial elements such as research funding, incentives for biotechnology commercialization, and even the strength of patent laws.